Resume Basics: Part 1, Chronological

A couple weeks back, we asked what were the three basic types of resume formats that people knew about. Most people knew about the “Chronological” resume, but there is also a “Functional” and a “Combination” resume style. For those of you who weren’t quite sure, we thought we’d go explain what they are, and give some pros and cons of each type in a three part series.

Chronological

This style of resume is probably the most commonly used. It lists your work history in reverse chronological order, which means your most recent employment is listed first. Each job listed specifies your position at the company, the name of the company and the dates you worked there. Under this information, roles and responsibilities are highlighted, usually in a bulleted form.

Example:

Cashier

Smith’s Grocery- Edmonton, AB 2012-2013

Identified price of goods using electronic cash register

Accepted payments from customers and gave change and receipt

Encouraged and assisted customers to sign up for store rewards programs

So, what are the good and the bad points about using this style? Here is a list of pros and cons:

Pros

It’s a commonly used format, which makes it recognizable to employers

It showcases your work history in an easy to read style

It is easy to edit/update any changes in your work history

Cons

Any gaps in your employment history are highlighted, which depending on the reason, may be something you don’t want a potential employer to know

If you don’t have any work experience, or very little work experience, it will be noticeable to the employer

It might be harder for an employer to recognize your skills, if they aren’t highlighted in your roles/responsibilities

Not sure if a chronological resume is right for you? Part two in this series, the “Functional” resume, will be posted next week!

Need some one-one-one assistance? We can help! Visit our Community Resource Centre at 11515-71 Street for resume assistance, as well as job searching tools such as computers, fax machines, photocopiers, phone, and job postings.